@Xaviduran 24 September 2022

All the maps lie. I am a map addict, and I consider that for one reason or another all maps lie. This one might be an exception in part, though, as it is a compendium of historical information and the author's imagination, and it presents a completely different vision of what Africa would be like if we Europeans hadn't come down to raid and colonise. Is the map lying? Strictly speaking, yes. But if we go for the imaginative side, it could be qualified as fiction, and can fiction be qualified as a lie? Devised by Swedish artist Nikolaj Cyon, this map depicts what Africa would look like today if European colonialism had never appeared on the African continent. (Africa's current borders were largely determined by colonialism, which still creates many very serious problems today). Cyon drew these borders based on a survey of political and tribal units in 1844, the eve of Europe's "scramble for Africa". He oriented it with the south at the top to reverse Europe's traditional orientation at the top. Information courtesy of https://www.cyon.se/#/alkebulan-1260-ah/ Maps produced for the project are available for purchase on the site. #map #geography #africa #fiction